The Gray Chamber

Written by Grace Hitchcock

Narrated by Stina Nielsen

True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime Fiction Based on Strange, But True, History Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late? On Blackwell Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late father's fortune under her uncle's care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society's demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women's lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth's friends care that she disappeared? At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth's plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980047216

Reviews for The Gray Chamber

[Yvette Bonett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very well written story with several true horrific facts about Blackwell Island! Although the story is based mostly on Edith, however in it we also meet Nelly Bly who was a reporter & the true heroine who uncovered the horrors of the asylum. At the age of 23 she voluntarily admitted herself for 10 days pretending to be a mentally ill patient, to be able to write a report in a paper while working for Joseph Pulizer! There is also a book by Nelly Bly called "10 days in a Madhouse"

[Kristie Johnson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The audio skipped a lot so I didn’t get to hear a lot of the book.

[hes7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Edyth Foster does not favor traditional female pursuits and instead, chooses to fence, cycle, and get into all sorts of unintended mischief. When greed for her fortune overcomes her uncle, her eccentricities seem to support his claim of madness, and she ends up in Blackwell Island’s lunatic asylum. When everything she does reinforces her “diagnosis,” how can she ever hope to get out? Historical stories set in an asylum are maddening, to say the least. Edyth has little reason to hope from within the walls of her prison—faced with endless threats, abuse, and “treatments”—yet she never gives up. With intrepid reporter Nellie Bly at her side, dashing fencing instructor Raoul Banebridge at work on the outside, and a necessary reminder of her faith, she is never as alone as she feels.With all the complications of Edyth’s experience, Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber proves to be quite the suspenseful (and romantic) read. I will admit that the cheesy-sounding dialogue lessen my enjoyment a tad, but the overall stress of the situation still kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more True Colors novels as they release. I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Gray Chamber is the second novel I have read by Grace Hitchcock. Her debut, The White City, was a treat, but this novel exceeded my expectations. Hitchcock has grown as a writer, and I am so very pleased because now I have another must-read author of historical mystery/suspense to add to my list! The Gray Chamber is part of the True Colors series which draws inspiration from true life crimes in our nation’s history. In this installment, the book centers on the horrific conditions of the mental health industry of the late 19th century. Nellie Bly exposed the abuses in her newspaper expose’ and subsequent book. Hitchcock took those experiences (and used Bly as a secondary character) to create a very personal portrayal of the arbitrary, and sometimes sinister, nature of commitment to the notorious Blackwell’s Island in NYC. Main character Edyth Foster is delightful in her eccentricities and independence, but those traits land her in the mad house. The abuses she faces and the peril she seeks to escape kept my attention riveted. This book was unputdownable. Her love interest was also especially swoony and a true hero as he seeks to free her. The historical details were spot on, and I found myself googling to find out more. The Gray Chamber was intense at times, and to counter that Hitchcock added a bit of levity at just the right moments. Edyth’s spunk and perseverance won my heart. As Edyth’s situation became more and more desperate, her reliance on God became more pronounced. Trust at the darkest of moments was difficult, but the truth that God fights for us when we cannot shines through.I highly recommend The Gray Chamber for those interested in true crime, historical fiction, or just a really good story. I look forward to more from this talented author.(Thanks to Barbour for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[stardust_fiddle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The True Colors series has quickly become a favorite of mine. Writing about true American crime stories from a Christian perspective provides sufficient factual information without sensationalizing violence and devolving into lurid details, offering hope in the midst of dreadful circumstances. The accounts may be historical, but they are still issues that plague society, and using fiction to bring attention to them serves to inform readers while hopefully cultivating the seeds of positive change. A similar approach proved to be a motivating factor for contemporary society, as evidenced by one of the secondary but true-to-life figures in this book. With a sweet, romantic beginning, Grace Hitchcock’s “The Gray Chamber” quickly escalates into a suspenseful, page-turning journey. Although under the guardianship of her uncle until her upcoming twenty-fifth birthday, heiress Edyth Foster already has wealth and security and needs neither, so she defies social convention by participating in the sport of fencing and wearing outfits unbefitting a woman of her rank. As amusing as her eccentricities are, however, they put her in danger of losing her fortune to her uncle, who commits her to the female insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. There she meets the intrepid journalist Nellie Bly, and both women embark upon a terrifying path to escape the asylum with their sanity intact. Aside from the barbaric treatments and living conditions, the core of the horror of “The Gray Chamber” and other such stories is the broad definition of madness, which results in many women being wrongly committed, and the subsequent inability to discern who is truly insane. As Nellie chillingly remarks, “It is a hard thing to be sane in this pit that seems to be designed to make us mad.” Today this takes the form of gaslighting, the awareness of which is spreading, but in 1887 “All it took was a dishonorable man’s word against an unwanted female to get her committed and a bribe to silence the staff of her fate.” As such, one of Edyth’s observations particularly struck me, when she laments that she had not memorized more Scripture because she took reading it for granted. This is still true of us as Americans who have enjoyed religious freedom, and a reminder to hide God’s Word in our hearts rather than assuming that will always have easy access to it. “The Gray Chamber” is a book that successfully takes on the challenge of portraying life in a late-nineteenth-century women’s mental asylum realistically but hopefully, so that readers come away with a more compassionate heart and a stronger faith in God, who promises to never leave or forsake us.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[anne_rightler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock is another great addition to the True Colors series, which is written by a variety of authors. The author immediately sweeps the reader up into the story with intense family dynamics and the independent spirit of the heroine, Edyth. I loved the suspense as the unthinkable happens and Edyth is, as the book blurb tells, committed to an insane asylum. I knew it was coming, and yet it was heartbreaking and horrifying to see how the author plays it out. Interest was kept high with the intensity of Edyth's experience and wondering how in the world will she get out of these awful circumstances, or even will she get out alive. I had a hard time putting the book down. I enjoyed the fencing angle of the story and thinking about how it would be for a woman in the late 1800s to be involved in that sport. The author does a masterful job of depicting the social injustice of mental healthcare during that time in history. I am looking forward to the next book in this series of historical stories of American Crime and readers who like romance mixed with intrigue and danger will not want to miss this one. I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required, and opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour.

[fcplcataloger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a tale of the evil that can be caused by greed but in the end, it is a story of love and faith. As I read all of the horrors that Edyth and so many others endured who were banished to Blackwell Island, I learned that it was very easy to have someone committed to an insane asylum in 1887. "All it took was a dishonorable man's word against an unwanted female to get her committed and a bribe to silence the staff of her fate." (P. 125) The Gray Chamber relates some of the treatment the patients were subjected to that was enough to truly send them into madness. It is apparent that author Grace Hitchcock did a lot of research and I found myself checking many of the happenings to see what was true and what was fictional. Nellie Brown is one of the young women that Edyth meets but she is unaware of Nellie's true identity. She is really Nellie Bly, a reporter for The World newspaper who is there to uncover what truly is occuring in this hospital. Bly really did spend ten days there and it is her expose that brought about changes at Blackwell Asylum. Grace Hitchcock has created some memorable characters in The Gray Chamber. Colorful and eccentric Edyth Foster and her antics made it easy to label her unstable; even her best friend had moments of doubt when she suddenly disappeared. I really liked Raoul "Bane" Banebridge and his determination to find out where Edyth was and I was also drawn to Poppy, the young tormented girl who found solace in reading her Bible and adamantly believed that she would be reunited with her martyred parents. The Gray Chamber is the fourth book of the True Colors series that is devoted to true stories of American crime and it certainly maintains the momentum of the previous books. I found myself unable to put it down, even when I found descriptions of the cruel treatments so disturbing. I was eager to discover if Edyth would be rescued before she truly suffered a breakdown and I was shocked to think that many of these events were based on true happenings. Watching Edyth's faith flourish and strengthen was very inspring and I can certainly recommend The Gray Chamber to anyone who enjoys historical Christian fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

[becky_l-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber would probably win my “Sleeper of the Year” award. (And, yes, I know it’s only January.) I thought this book would be fun and interesting. I did not bargain for a love in danger of being lost nor a trip to Blackwell’s Island, infamous in its time for housing “insane” women. This series of historical American crimes gives a fictional façade to journalist Nellie Bly’s visit to the island. At first, we are immersed in an enjoyable turn-of-the-century account of Edyth and fencing master Raoul Banebridge. Edyth is dying to have her best friend Raoul “Bane” notice her as a woman, but her eccentricities seem to block his view. When finally, he begins to see Edyth for the woman she is, her eccentricities have enabled other shocking developments. This book is the stuff my nightmares are made of. It made perfect sense, and I could visualize it all happening. The evil mankind can perpetrate on another, made in the image of the same God!! My only hope as I read with elevated blood pressure and eyes scurrying over the pages was for a happy ending. Certainly, a chiller. However, as I think more about it, I can think of the Great Shepherd going after that one lost sheep, as well. The ultimate love that conquers hate. Having read Hitchcock’s previous novel in this collection, The White City, I was pleased to meet Jude Law again. I always like it when novelists include fun tie-ins like this to their other works. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way influences my opinions, which are my own.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This has been one of my favorite books so far this year. It is beautifully written. I did not want to put this book down. How would you like to have a life and then find out that someone could control what was going to happen to you. This happens to Edyth. She is happy being an eccentric woman and doesn’t know what horrors can lurk in a bad mans heart. Can Edyth survive the horrors of an 19th century women’s lunatic asylum. I don’t know how anyone survived inside a lunatic asylum in that day and age. I loved the characters. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishers for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[sn11386 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After her parents died she became under the guardianship of her uncle (Boris) who wants her large inheritance before she turns 25 years old. She may not get the inheritance if Boris could apply a clause discovered in the family will ".if Edyth dies, unmarried and childless, or is declared mad and committed to an asylum, the fortune revers to Uncle Boris and his heir." Keep in mind in the late 1800s women might be committed to an asylum on the word of her husband or family for insanity caused by childbirth, overwork, infidelity, and many more other reasons. We are taken into his journey of putting her in the asylum.  As the story moves forward we see Banebridge doing everything in his power to rescue the woman he loved. While in the asylum she befriends Polly. Edyth turns to her faith while in there. Another secondary character in the book is Lavinia. She seems to be like a brat but was only looking for a friendship that genuinely cared for others. Grace Hitchcock did a great job of making me disturbed by how bad people especially women were treated people in these types of mental institutes during the 1800s and the corruption of the system. At that time all you needed to do was to give doctors a large amount of money to put anyone you would like in a mental institute. This actually happened. Once women were put into the mental institute they most likely never got out. Throughout the book, there are many suspenseful scenes. Hitchcock did her research and included first-hand accounts of Nellie Bly who went undercover to write about and expose these injustices. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical romantic suspense that is based on real events in history than this is for you. If you read "The White City" I believe you would like this book as well. 

[eamace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is 1887 in New York City. Miss Edyth Foster is an heiress, having lost her parents to an accident many years earlier. Refusing to follow convention, she cycles around the city on her velocipede, spends her time at the fencing club enhancing her fencing abilities, sketching and painting all the while refusing to dress in the style befitting her status. In that time, it was all too easy to pay off doctors, etc. to have them diagnose a person as insane, who would then be sent to Blackwell’s Island where there was little likelihood that they would ever be released from. Read on to learn of one such atrocity which was well documented by a newspaper columnist who allowed herself to be committed in order to bring about real change. Would Edyth manage to escape or was she destined to remain moving between the Lodge and the Gray Chamber of horror? Can she learn to leave her future in God’s capable hands?I received a copy of this book through Barbour Publishing, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. All impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

[harley0326 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is one that will stay with you for many years. The details are very terrifying at times and it brought me to tears. I can’t begin to imagine the horror these women faced every day in a place that abused patients and caused deaths that were painful and inhumane.Edyth is a wonderful character who does things other women disapprove of. I loved learning about fencing and how there were women who were gifted in this area. Greed is the main theme in this book as Edyth falls victim to her Uncles’ treacherous scheme to put her away and steal her fortune.There is one character that I absolutely loved in the book. Bane is a brilliant fence instructor who happens to take a shining to Edyth. His love for Edyth is evident as he never gives up trying to find her. Yes to me he is a knight in shining armor. It was intriguing to read how their relationship developed. Bane knows something is wrong when Edyth doesn’t show up to meet him one day. Edyth’s Uncle is callous and makes up lies as to where Edyth is. While Bane searches for her , Edyth ,is locked away in an asylum under false pretenses. The description of The Gray Chamber is unnerving and I had a hard time reading about it. The author does an amazing job of vividly recounting what went on at the asylum and I was very interested in reading about an undercover journalist in the midst of patients.The story is based on a true crime with fictional liberties that enhance the story. Once I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out if Bane would save Edyth before it was too late. The thought of Edyth never being rescued had my heart pumping. After reading this book I will be exploring more about this asylum and the treatment that women were forced to endure. The faith element is good in the story and gives hope to Edyth. Even though this is just the beginning of the new year, this book will be placed on my list for favorite 2020 books .I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great read, but it did give me nightmares, and mainly because it is based on fact. This horrible place really existed, and was used to actually destroy people, sick and sad.There are smiles to be found when we follow our daring Ms. Edyth as she goes about NY City, doing what we take for granted, but back in the late 1880’s was considered unladylike.Then we have her Uncle, yes, he is her guardian, at least for a few more weeks, she will then be 25, and able to assume control over her fortune. She also seems to finally gotten the attention of the man she loves, but can it ever be?What we have here, plain and simple greed, and how they go about stealing the money, is just plain horrible.Make sure you read the author’s notes at the end of this book, sad but true!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour. and was not required to give a positive review.

[cassiesbooksreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Gray Chamber True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Grace Hitchcock is a Christian Historical Romance Thriller Fiction set in 1887. Ms. Hitchcock ́s newest book is based on the real crimes of committing unwanted family members to asylums. She explores the various reasons for committal, treatments and many abuses. Nellie Bly the famous journalist even makes an appearance. I found this book interesting, exciting and somewhat terrifying to think these crimes could happen. I thought the characters were at times not completely believable but at the same time very likable. There was an excellent Christian message throughout about trusting God in all things. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 4 Stars